Oba: The Last Samurai (2011)

During the end of World War 2, a group of Japanese soldiers fight on after US forces capture most of the island. They refuse to surrender and continue to resist after the Emperor surrenders.

Directors:

Cellin Gluck, Hideyuki Hirayama

Writers:

Don Jones (based on the book by), Cellin Gluck (screenplay)

Stars:

Yutaka Takenouchi, Sean McGowan, Mao Inoue

1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Yutaka Takenouchi	...	Captain Oba
Sean McGowan	...	Captain Lewis
Mao Inoue	...	Chieko Aono
Treat Williams	...	Colonel Wessinger
Toshiaki Karasawa	...	Horiuchi
Daniel Baldwin	...	Colonel Pollard
Sadao Abe	...	Suekichi Motoki
Lloyd Buckley	...	Cpl. Marks
Bengal	...	(as Bengaru)
Jordi Vilasuso	...	Sgt. Trouble
Itsuji Itao	...	Kinbara
Daniel Parino	...	Pvt. Kellem
Tomoko Nakajima	...	Haruko Okuno
Harlan Glenn	...	Sgt. Munroe
Yoshinori Okada	...	Saburo Bito

Storyline

July 1944, The Imperial Japanese Army Garrison on Saipan mounted its final suicidal Banzai charge against the American Marines in the Battle for Saipan. Out of the 4000 Japanese who waged the charge there are almost no survivors but among them left alive is Captain Oba Sakae (Yutaka Takenouchi). Playing dead, he initially avoids capture and then is joined by a small band of survivors who retreat deep into the jungle. There, he as the highest ranking officer still alive will take command of the surviving 46 soldiers and 200 plus Japanese civilians now in his care who will evade the Marines and conduct a hit and run Guerrilla War long after the Americans declare the island secured in American hands. Enraged by Oba's resistance, the temperamental USMC Commander Colonel Pollard (Daniel Baldwin) launches an all out effort to hunt the man the Marines have dubbed "The Fox" of the Pacific. Failing to Capture Oba, Pollard is sacked and replaced by the mild mannered Colonel Wessinger (Treat ...

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Plot Keywords:

1940s | japanese soldier | world war two | year 1944 | year 1945 | 

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Genres:

Drama | War

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Did You Know?

Trivia

You can see a few M-38 Jeeps and CJ3As instead of the wartime Jeep Willys Also when the Marines are walking in a straight line some of the soldiers are carrying British Lee Enfield rifles instead of M1 Garands, M1 Carbines, or 03-A3 bolt action rifles.

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Quotes

Colonel Pollard: I don't understand these Japs. This ah... Bushido suicide thing... It's ah... Well! It's crazy.
Captain Lewis: Well, It's ah... it's a matter of pride. It's a way of thinking. They've been nurturing in their heads for centuries.

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Connections

Edited into Hacksaw Ridge (2016)

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Soundtracks

American Patrol
Music by F.W. Meacham

User Reviews

Good Film Left Me Unsettled

This was a surprisingly realistic war film, although it did have factual inaccuracies, such as inexplicably exaggerating the casualties inflicted by the Japanese during the infamous Saipan Banzai Charge. And while I suppose it's possible that a handful of Americans existed who understood and respected the bushido culture of Imperial Japan, they were probably nonexistent in the war zone, and therefore I found Captain Lewis' character to be totally unrealistic.

I can't speak for the acting of the Japanese. As for the Americans, Treat Williams and Daniel Baldwin can act. I can't say the same about the rest of the cast; they are terrible.

This is a Japanese film. Given the enormous scope and nature of their aggression and war crimes in the 1930s and 40s (dubbed The Asian Holocaust), and given their longstanding refusal to acknowledge said crimes, or apologize to their tens of millions of victims, I find that any portrayal by the Japanese of their WW II soldiers as heroic - even if probably true - leaves a bad taste in my mouth. This was a film that should never have been made. Imagine if modern-day Germany released a film depicting the bravery and loyalty of their soldiers in 1942. It's just unseemly, no matter how accurate.

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese English

Release Date:

11 February 2011 (Japan)

Also Known As:

Oba: The Last Samurai

Filming Locations:

Rayong, Thailand

Box Office

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$17,737,092

Company Credits

Production Co:

Chukyo TV Broadcasting Company (CTV), Cine Bazar, D.N. Dream Partners

Technical Specs

Runtime:

128 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital EX

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1